Featured Reviews

Italian Selection from Macvine International

19 December,2018

Macvine International has a very strong and eclectic range
of imported wines that they distribute. Many of these wines have been obtained through
the personal connections and preferences of company founder Michael Jemison. Invariably they are of very good quality and
have individuality. Here, I review a
selection of Italian wines available from Macvine. The ‘Alpha Zeta’ wines are modern Veneto
wines from David Gleave MW and Kiwi winemaker Matt Thomson. The ‘Fidora’ wines from Veneto are some of
Italy’s first organic wines, having that status from 1974. The ‘Il Faggio’ Abruzzi wines are made in a
modern style by Kiwi winemaker Alana McGettigan, a colleague of Matt Thomson. And ‘Poggio Nicchiaia’ is a company making traditionally-inspired
Tuscan wine for the modern global market.
www.macvine.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Alpha Zeta ‘P’ ‘Terrapieno’ Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC 2017

Pinot Gris from Italy – Veneto

17.5/20

Bright, pale straw colour with some depth, lighter on the
rim. The nose is taut and tightly bound,
with elegance and a slender expression, showing clear and pure aromas of white
stonefruits with subtle notes of nuts and white florals that form a fine
core. This has a delicate mouthwatering
freshness. Dry to taste and medium-light
bodied, the palate has taut and finely concentrated flavours of white stonefruits
with an amalgam of white florals and subtle nutty elements, along with mineral
nuances. The fruit forms a fine-textured
heart with light phenolic grip, and the wine flows with good linearity and
drive. The acidity is integrated, but
lends the mouthfeel poise, freshness and brightness as the wine carries to a
thirst-quenching finish. This is a taut
and finely concentrated dry Pinot Grigio with white stonefruit, nutty and
floral notes on a mouthwatering, fine-textured palate. Serve with seafood, antipasto and tapas over
the next 2 years. Hand-picked Pinot
Grigio fruit from the ‘Terrapieno’ vineyard, Valpantena Valley, cool-fermented
to 12.5% alc. and 4.21 g/L RS. 17.5/20 Dec 2018
RRP $25.00

Alpha Zeta ‘R’ Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso DOC 2016

Blended Red from Italy – Veneto

17.5+/20

Dark, even garnet-hued red colour, a little lighter on the
edge. The nose is elegantly presented
with well-concentrated and packed aromas of dark-red and black berried fruits
entwined with dark herbs and background savoury earthy elements. This has good aromatic lift and
freshness. Medium-full bodied, the
palate has sweet, juicy, bright and lusciously succulent flavours of ripe
dark-red and black fruits along with soft herbal notes, and hints of
earthiness. The mouthfeel is bright and
vibrant, the fruit sweetness enlivened by light, refreshing acidity, and the
wine flows along a fine-textured line lending structure with elegance. The wine carries to a long, nuanced finish of
sweet, black fruits. This is a sweet,
juicy and succulent Valpolicella Ripasso with dark-red and black fruits, on a
fresh palate with fine-grained tannins. Match
with lamb, beef and venison, or semi-hard cheeses over the next 4-5 years. A blend of 85% Corvina and Corvinone, and 15%
Rondinella, fermented with Amarone skins to 13.5% alc. and 5.45 g/L RS, the
wine aged just over a year in large and small format French oak. 17.5+/20
Dec 2018 RRP $32.00

Fidora ‘Tenuta Cirvanetta’ Pinot Grigio Venezia DOC 2016

Pinot Gris from Italy – Veneto

16.5+/20

Bright, light straw-yellow colour with some depth, a little
paler edged. The nose is softly full and
broad with gently concentrated aromas of white and yellow stonefruits along
with nutty, oxidative detail and mineral elements. The aromatics grow in depth with
aeration. Dry to taste and
medium-bodied, the palate is soft and full, broad and mouthfilling with
flavours of white and yellow stonefruits harmoniously melded with nutty notes
and complexing oxidative elements. The
palate has a gentle richness and juiciness that is balanced by light, grainy
phenolic textures and soft acidity. The
wine carries to a soft, lingering, nuanced finish of stonefruits. This is a soft and gently broad, mouthfilling
dry Pinot Grigio with stonefruit, nutty and oxidative flavours on a textured
palate. Serve with antipasto and tapas
over the next 2 years. 100% Pinot Grigio
from ‘Tenuta Cirvanetta’, fermented to 12.5% alc. Certified Agricoltura Italia organic. 16.5+/20
Dec 2018 RRP $25.00

Fidora ‘Monte Tabor’ Valpolicella DOC 2016

Blended Red from Italy – Veneto

16.5/20

Deep, garnet-hued red colour, a little lighter on the rim
with some bricking. The nose is soft and
full with voluminous aromas of savoury red berry fruits harmoniously melded
with nutty notes, dark herbs and a layering of earthiness. A little secondary game development is
emerging, Medium-bodied, the palate is
gently full with broad, mouthfilling, savoury red berry fruit flavours entwined
with dried herbs, game and earth, along with some oxidative detail, showing
secondary development. The fruit
possesses sweetness and juiciness, and is underlined by light tannin extraction
and structure, providing linearity. The
wine carries to a lingering, savoury finish.
This is a soft, mouthfilling Valpolicella with savoury red fruits, dried
herbs, dame and earthy notes along with nutty oxidative elements on a palate
with light structure. Match with
casseroles and slow-cooked game meat dishes over the next 3 years. A blend of 65% Corvina, 25% Corvonone, and
10% Rondinella, from the hills of the Illasi hills, fermented to 12.5%
alc. Certified Agricoltura Italia
organic. 16.5/20 Dec 2018
RRP $35.00

Il Faggio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2016

Montepulciano from Italy – Other

17.5-/20

Full, even, dark ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the
rim. The nose is fresh and elegantly
presented with intense aromas of savoury dark-red berry fruit with an amalgam
of dark and dried herbs, and earthy elements, unfolding floral and game-like
aromatics. Medium-bodied, the palate has
an elegantly concentrated heart with deep flavours of savoury dark-red berry
fruits melded with a layering of dark and dried herbs, along with earthy
detail. The palate is taut and concentrated
with fruit sweetness unfolding, balanced by fine and firm tannin extraction,
providing dryness and linearity. The
wine carries to a tight, lingering finish.
This is a taut, sweet-fruited Montepulciano with savoury dark-red fruits
along with herbs and earth on a fine, firm, grainy textured palate. Match with roasted and grilled red meat
dishes over the next 4+ years. Montepulciano
fruit from vineyards around San Salvo, predominantly hand-picked and fermented
to 13.0% alc. 17.5-/20 Dec 2018
RRP $25.00

Poggio Nicchiaia ‘Tigliano’ Toscana IGT 2016

Blended Red from Italy – Tuscany

17.5/20

Deepish, garnet-hued red, a little lighter on the rim, with
a little bricking. The nose is full with
harmoniously interwoven aromas of dark-red cherry and berry fruit with subtle
notes of redcurrants melded with dark and savoury herb notes and a spicy,
floral lift. The aromatics unfold with
aeration. Medium-full bodied, the palate
has rich and juicy, sweet flavours of dark-red and black cherry fruit with
suggestions of black and redcurrants along with lifted spices. The palate is bright and lively with fine,
grainy tannins providing structure and grip, with fresh, lacy acidity lending
vitality and energy. The fruit sweetness
carries the wine to a lingering finish of dark-red cherry and berry
fruits. This is a rich, sweet-fruited
Tuscan red blend with cherry, currant and lifted spicy flavours on a bright,
lively, grainy palate. Match with
roasted lamb or beef, and with Middle Eastern fare over the next 5+ years. A blend of 40% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet
Sauvignon and 20% Syrah, from the Pisan hills, Peccioli, fermented to 13.0%
alc., the wine aged 8 months in wood. 17.5/20 Dec 2018
RRP $25.00

Poggio Nicchiaia ‘Filetto’ Chianti Superiore DOCG 2016

Sangiovese from Italy – Tuscany

18/20

Deepish, garnet-hued red colour, a little lighter on the
rim. The nose is finely concentrated
with elegantly presented aromas of bitter red cherry and berry fruit along with
notes of fresh and dark herbs, and lifted dark-red florals. A little shy in expression, this has vinosity
and good depth at the heart. Medium-full
bodied, the palate has a rich, sweet and harmoniously presented core with
integrated flavours of dark-red cherry and berry fruit entwined with subtle
notes of dark herbs and dark-red floral element. This is smooth and seamless in flow, the palate
featuring very fine-grained, powdery tannin extraction with balanced
acidity. The fruit sweetness carries the
wine to a soft, lush, sustained finish. This
is a rich, harmonious, and integrated Chianti with dark-red cherry and berry
fruit melded with dark herbs on a seamless flowing palate. Match with fine roasted red meat dishes over
the next 5-6+ years. 100% Sangiovese
fruit from the Pisan Hills, Peccioli, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged in
wood. 18.0/20 Dec 2018
RRP $30.00